Why Sherringford?
by tranimation
Summary: An essay that explains why I created the name "Sherringford" for my GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE pastiches and its origins. Essay: Complete. Rated K.


**THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE: WHY SHERRINGFORD?  
**THIRD EDITION

Written by Diane N. Tran (tranimation)

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**Synopsis**: An essay that explains why I created the name "Sherringford" for my _Great Mouse Detective _pastiches and its origins. Essay: Complete. Rated K.

As a courtesy, please do not use the name "Sherringford" without my permission. Thank you.

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**Introduction**

"Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow!" (TGMD).

Many Basilians, including myself, have wondered if Basil of Baker Street had a first name, as neither the Eve Titus nor Disney has ever revealed one. Those whom have read my character profiles and/or my pastiches may have noticed that I often refer to the character, Basil of Baker Street, as Sherringford Basil. This name was my own creation and, of all the names in all the languages, I have often been asked, "Why Sherringford?"

**Origin and History**

In March 1886, (Sir) Arthur Conan Doyle, a young Scottish doctor and struggling author, began writing a novel, which would catapult him to fame, but he had difficulty deciding on the names of the heroes: His detective was to be "Sherringford Holmes" and his assistant to be "Ormond Sacker." However, Conan Doyle found the names to be too obscure and awkward and, consequently, he changed them. Two years later, this novel was completed and published in _Beeton's Christmas Annual_ under the title, _A Study in Scarlet_, introducing the new names: His detective was now immortally named "Sherlock Holmes" and his partner-in-crime as "John H. Watson," because it was accordingly dull.

**Vat's whong? Con't yah spuooll?**

There is a debate over the spelling of this name. "Sherringford" was not the only potential candidate Conan Doyle listed as a name: There was also "Sherrinford" — the conflict being only addition and/or subtraction of a letter 'g'.

I selected "Sherringford" (with a 'g') as a personal preference, plain and simple, because it was, of the two, the first name I was introduced to; most references I have read spelt it that way; as such, I have written that spelling over many years. And, for me, it was personally simpler to pronounce and looked better, too.

**My Personal Need of "Sherringford"**

In the original writings, Conan Doyle introduced one of the most fascinating characters in the short story, _The Greek Interpreter_, named Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older, lazier, and (arguably) smarter brother. As a result, in my _Life and Times of the Great Mouse Detective_ pastiches, I created the equivalent for Basil of Baker Street, but he had no name; he simply was known as "Basil's Brother" — quite unoriginal, I know! After two years, I got sick and tired of calling my character, "Hey-You," therefore I pondered and considered to use the name "Sherringford" for the younger brother. And yet, the name "Mycroft," used straight out of the Sacred Writings, would be a lacklustre name alongside "Sherringford." Skimming though my pocket name-book and the local phone-book for ideas, I decided to expand the original as "Myerricroft" for the final name for the elder brother.

**Rathbone in the Mirror**

Eve Titus never actually gave straight answer to where she got the name "Basil" for her mouse detective. One possibility is, in the Sacred Writings, where Holmes disguised himself as an old seaman named Captain _Basil_ in the story, "The Black Peter." However, the generally accepted answer is that he is named after the most famous actor who have played Holmes (at the time of its publication), playing the detective for thirty-five years — _Basil_ Rathbone. The character in the Disney film was, indeed, modelled directly after Rathbone and this becomes very obvious in the scene in Rat Trap Saloon:

Second film of the twelve Universal series was _Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon_ (1942). Holmes went into disguise as a limping, chain-smoking, craggily sea captain in the film. The resemblance is uncanny: He and Basil share the same beaten hat, old jacket, funny walk, dangling cigarette, ruff voice, and the same creepy stare, who hops from seedy pub to seedy pub, complete with dancing showgirls. The difference is the mouse's wire moustache, yet Rathbone was famous for that signature off-screen wire moustache and can also be seen in many of his non-Sherlockian films. Holmes' captain gets tailed by a peg-legged first mate in a striped shirt and cap (played by Harold De Becker, uncredited), which looks exactly like Dawson's costume as the first mate, while the peg leg points more towards Fidget.

**"Basil" Is A Surname**

Consider proper Victorian etiquette of address and title: The proper manner to address another is via surname; it is, of course, very British. For example, it is "Mr. Holmes," never "Mr. Sherlock," which is bad form. In the Sacred Writings, no one — not even his dearest friend, Watson — addresses Holmes by his first name, save Brother Mycroft. In the film, everyone addresses David Q. Dawson as "Dr. Dawson" and, in Titus' _Basil in the Wild West_, Basil mentions that he has/had a sister named "Brynna Basil." Logically and irrevocably, "Basil" is a surname.

**What happened to Brynna?**

For the sake of my own pastiches, Brynna was the youngest sibling of the Basil family and was dearly loved by her older brothers, but she died of diphtheria at the age of eight. And, by coincidence, Oscar Milde, like his human counterpart, was also the second child and second son of three children, with an older brother, Willie, and a younger sister, Isola, who died mysteriously of fever just short of her tenth birthday. These similarities established their close friendship of Sherringford Basil and Oscar Milde during Oxford University.

**Sherringford Basil versus Basil of Baker Street**

Yet there is the question of the title, "Basil of Baker Street"? Why would they call him "Basil of Baker Street" instead of "Mr. Sherringford Basil"? In the Titus Canon, the mice affectionately nickname him "the Sherlock Holmes of the Mouse-World," whereas in the film, on the other hand, the mice do not acknowledge that they have a human counterpart, simply that Basil is Holmes and Ratigan is Moriarty:

It is typical to say, "[name] of [location of residence, of occupation, of some importance, etc]," for example: Jonas Oldacre of Lower Norwood; Hilton Cubitt of Derbyshire; Inspector Bradstreet of Scotland Yard; or Mycroft Holmes of the Diogenes Club; or simply Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street.

**What's In A Name?**

For those who are obsessive perfectionists, like me, I have placed the effort to examine the meaning of these eccentric names because I have a love for nameology and etymology; it's one of my many, many hobbies:

• Sherringford ("sherring" + "ford") = Anglicized form of Middle English name _Sherwin_ derived from the Old English phrase _scir wynne_ ("bright friend") + Old English _ford_ ("shallow place where one may cross a river")  
• Myerricroft ("myerri" + "croft") = Anglicized form of Hebrew names _Meyer_, _Mayer_, or _Meir_ ("bright one") + Old English (West Germanic) _croft_ ("small, enclosed pasture near a house")  
• Brynna = Alternate spelling of the Irish Gaelic name _Brianna_ ("noble, exalted, high-minded, strong")

While other families would name their children "John" or "James," the Basil family (like the Holmes family) must have been unconventional to "scar" their children with such bizarre titles, yet they have a theme that all encircle the value of "brightness" and "mindedness" and "intelligence."

The name "Basil" is medieval Anglo-French, which originates from the Greek name _Bassilios_, which came from the pre-Hellenic Greek word _basileus_ ("royal, kingly"), originally was given only to children of royal or noble birth. In the 4th century CE, St. Basil (330-379), the Bishop of Caesarea, was long regarded as one of the four fathers of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, where the name was adopted by various Eastern European languages, such as Russian _Vasili_, which is the ecclesiastical name of St. Vladimir (958-1015), Prince of Kiev, who was chiefly responsible for the introduction of Christianity to Russia. Up to the 11th century, it was used as a personal name usually born by clerics. However, after the Crusades, it became popular name for returning soldiers to christen their children with Hebrew and/or Biblical names, and thereby to commemorate the fathers deeds in the Holy Land. The earliest known examples of "Basil" as a surname are in England, which was also the first country to adopt hereditary surnames, during the early 13th century.

**Forms of Address**

When one encounters both brothers at the same time, how do you address them? When speaking to multiple sisters (whom are unmarried, of course), the proper etiquette is to address the eldest by the family surname and the younger sisters by their first name, for example "Miss Bennett" would be the eldest, while her younger sisters would be "Miss Elizabeth," "Miss Catherine," and so on. However, this form of address does not apply to brothers:

Brothers should always use their surnames, married or unmarried, thus they are both addressed as "Mr. Basil," never as "Mr. Myerricroft" or "Mr. Sherringford." One could face the brother that one wishes to speak to. One could simply address them fully as "Mr. Myerricroft Basil" and "Mr. Sherringford Basil" to avoid confusion. One can also address Sherringford as "Young Mr. Basil." Although you _can_ address Myerricroft as "Old Mr. Basil," it's considered impolite; it would be considered more prudent to refer to Myerricroft as "Mr. Basil" and Sherringford as "Young Mr. Basil." Dawson, being more intimate with his friend, would addresses Sherringford as "Basil" while addressing Myerricroft formally as "Mr. Basil."

Servants and teachers, however, were a different matter because they came into daily contact with the children: In this case, before they were considered adults, they would be referred to as "Master Myerricroft" and "Master Sherringford," so they are not confused with their father. "Master" is the equivalent of "Mister (Mr.)" for younger boys, used more prominently for schoolboys in general. This usually stops at the age of seventeen, which is the age they are considered an adult, an age where a young man starts university and/or a career, and will be addressed as "Mister (Mr.)" Servants _may_ continue to use the term "Master" up until the father dies, or depending on rules of the individual household, or the preference of the individual himself.

**"Brother Mine"**

Similar to many little brothers to their older brothers, Sherringford hero-worships his and, throughout my pastiches, I often have Sherringford address his Myerricroft as "brother mine," as a term of endearment. In the Granada _Sherlock Holmes_ TV series, which is one of the most faithful productions to the Sacred Writings, Sherlock Holmes, played by Jeremy Brett, endears this phrase to his brother, played by Charles Gray, in four episodes — "The Greek Interpreter," "The Bruce-Partington Plans," "The Golden Pince-Nez," and "The Mazarin Stone" — and it always charmed and delighted me whenever I heard it, as it showed a closeness to the siblings, and added it to my own pastiches in tribute. Accordingly, Brett took the phrase from William Shakespeare's _The Tempest_, although it was popularized earlier in Geoffrey Chaucer's _The Canterbury Tales_.

**The Importance of Being Named**:

William Shakespeare wrote, "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but I do not believe that. Names are very _powerful_ words. We live with these names all our lives. We are born with them and addressed by them. We personify them every moment of our lives. Names shape and define who you are. Therefore, I feel, names need to be selected with great care. A name needs to fit the character as perfectly as possible, whether in its meaning, its history, its symbolism, its culture, or its uniqueness.

**Other Name Meanings**:

Dr. David Q. Dawson (David Quemus Dawson)

He is friend and biographer to Basil of Baker Street. The Hebrew name _David_ ("beloved") is straightforward, but the middle initial "Q" took a few years of research. In the Sacred Writings, most Sherlockian scholars theorize and agree that the "H" in John H. Watson's is _Hamish_, which is the Scottish variant of _James_, which explains of why his wife (mistakenly) addresses him as "James" rather than "John." For Dawson, there's an obscure Irish-Scottish variation of _Uemus_ that derives from the Irish name _Séamus_, which originates from the Hebrew _James_ ("he who supplants"), in tribute to human counterpart and, thus, I added a "Q" to the beginning. _Dawson_ is an Old English surname for "son of David."

Watson had an older brother named _Henry, Jr_, who died of drink and, as a result, and abused their father's pocket-watch that he inherited. With that, too, Dawson has a brotherly counterpart named _Henry Quillam Dawson, Jr_: _Henry_ is Old German for "home ruler" — a metaphor to their inheritance of the pocket-watch — and _Quillam_ is an Irish-Scottish variation of _Uillam_ for the Old German name _William_ for "will helmet, protection" and, again, I added a "Q" to match. Because there were only two children, the most common Q-names, like _Quentin/Quent/Quintus/Quinton/Quint/Quincy/Quintre ll/Quinlan/Quinn_, Latin for "fifth (child)," could not be used.

Oscar Milde (Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Mills Milde)

He is Basil's closest friend from Oxford University. His real-life counterpart's full name is _Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde_: Like his mother, he was specifically after the legendary warrior son of Oisín in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, where the name _Oscar_ derives from the Gaelic phrase _os cara_ ("deer lover"). _Fingal_ derived from the Gaelic phrase _fionn gall_ ("foreign tribe, dark-haired stranger"), that denotes the Norse Vikings that settled in Ireland. His family names include _O'Flahertie_, an Irish surname from the Gaelic _Ó Flaithbheartaigh_ ("descendant of the a bright ruler"). The last two names had the "W" flipped upside down into an "M": The Old English surname _Wilde_ ("one of wild or undisciplined character"), which was the name of the Normans whom arrived in England; but for a mouse, this meaning is reversed with _Milde_, as a "mild" tribute to his human counterpart and, to match, the Gaelic surname _Mills_ ("one who lives near a mill") was used.

Dr. Prometheus Verner (Prometheus Jean-Honoré Verner)

He is a physician and second cousin of Sherringford Basil. Holmes' grandmother was a sister of _Émile Jean-Horace Vernet_, the famous French artist, which would make Vernet Basil's (maternal) great-uncle and, thus, I made his cousin's (paternal) grandfather. His name consist of the Greek _Prometheus_ ("foresight, forethought"), keeping to family tradition of names of brightness and intelligence, and Prometheus, in Greek mythology, brought from Mount Olympus to mortal men and was forever punished for this deed by being chained to a stone, having a vulture eat out his liver every day, and every day have that liver grow back. The French _Jean_ derives from Hebrew _John_ ("God's grace") and French _Honoré_ originates from the Latin word for "honored one." The surname _Verner_ is more English spelling of the French _Vernet_, which originates either from the Latin (Roman) word _verno_ ("young at heart") or Latin word _verna_ ("house servant").

Professor James Patrick Ratigan (Séamus Pádraic Ó Reachtagáin)

This "Napoleon of Crime" is the infamous archnemesis of Basil of Baker Street. While Eve Titus addressed Ratigan's first name as _Padraic_ and that name never suited my taste: I wanted Ratigan, instead, to share Moriarty's name _James_ because the name was so average, so dull, so plain, so commonplace, that you have never known he was this criminal mastermind. Fortuitously, Moriarty had two other brothers, but all three brothers were named _James_, which most likely is a name inherited through their father, so I had their middle names had to be different and, consequentially, _Pádraic_ and _Ratigan_ were both Irish names, therefore I used the Irish patronymic naming system:

_Séamus_ is the Irish variation for Hebrew _James_ ("he who supplants") and _Pádraic_ is Irish variation of the anglicized _Patrick_ from the Latin _Patricus_ ("patrician, noble"), where Ancient Romans were divided socially and politically into _plebeians_ (commoners) and _patricians_ (aristocrats). _Ratigan_ derives from the Irish Gaelic surname _Ó Reachtagáin_ for "descendant of (one who makes) degrees." Ironic for the World's Greatest Criminal Mind, isn't it?

Captain Sebastian Doran (Seraphimus St. Sebastian Doran)

Half-rat, half-mouse, the "second most dangerous rodent in London" is Ratigan's second-in-command and heir-apparent to Ratigan's underworld throne. His names reflect the overzealous religiousness of his family upbringing, his aspirations to become a man of the cloth in his youth, but was removed from the monastery before taking his vows into the frontlines of Afghan-Indian Wars, got severe post-dramatic stress disorder, and eventually transformed into a sociopathic, self-proclaimed "avenging messenger of the Almighty God": _Seraphimus_ is a Latin name from the Hebrew _Seraphim_ ("burning ones"), the highest-ranking angels in Heaven who sit beside to the throne of God and serve Him as messengers of life and death, according to Judeo-Christian scriptures. _Sebastian_ is both a Latin name ("revered") and Greek name ("venerable"): St. Sebastian, according to legend, was a 3rd-century captain of the Roman praetorian guards and Christian martyr who was ordered to be executed by Emperor Maximian by arrows and left for dead; he is the patron saint of archers, athletes, soldiers, and plague sufferers, as he was reported to have cured many who were afflicted with diseases. _Doran_ originates from Irish Gaelic surname _Ó Deoradhain_, which can be shortened to _Ó Deoráin_, which derives from the word _deoradh_ ("wanderer, exile, pilgrim").

Mademoiselle Irene Relda (Irénè Divin Relda) and Her Family

To Basil, she is always _the_ Woman who was born into a French-speaking Jewish family who immigrated to the States: _Relda_ is the French spelling of the German (Teutonic) surname _Rilda_ ("armoured for battle"). _Irénè_ is a French spelling of the Greek goddess of peace _Eirene_ ("peace") and, as such, her name is pronounced the French way, not the American way, as "ee-RAIN-ah."

Her mother and (maternal) aunt are both French actresses: Her mother, retired from the stage to be a political activist and philanthropist, is named _Divin Actrice_ ("divine actress") and her aunt is named _Bella Actrice_ ("beautiful actress"). Her father, an eccentric Belgian inventor and college engineering instructor, is named _Archimède_ is a French spelling for Greek _Archimedes_ ("contemplating, pondering"). Her brothers are _Télesphore_ (French, "bringing fulfillment"), Napolidore (Greek, "gift from Naples, gift from the woodland"), Apollinaire (French spelling of Greek _Apollinaris_ for "of Apollo," and _Apollo_, the Greek god of the sun, either means "father light" or "destroyer"), Pierrepont (French, "stone bridge"), Josseaume (Breton, "will of Jodocus," the Latin name _Jodocus_ means "experienced in battle"), Septimius (Latin, "seventh"), and Octavius (Latin, "eighth"). The later two is a bit of an inside joke because her parents were beginning to run out of suitable names for their "brood" of children.

Julius Augustus Silverson (Vlaicu Vodă Drăgulescu Iuliu Augustinu cel Silvicultor)

Based on one of the greatest villains in the Sacred Writings, up there in the calibre of Moriarty and Moran, he is a blackmailer who Basil addresses as as "the _worst_ mouse in London." His names represent his prestigious bloodline of conquerors and warlords of Romania with "vampyric" metaphors: _Vlaicu Vodă_ is an obscure Romanian name that derives from the Slavic name _Vladislav_ ("to rule with glory"): He is related to Vladislav I of Wallachia (also known as Vlaicu Vodă), the grandson of Basarab I, who ruled of the principality of Wallachia from 1364 to 1377, before the House of Basarab split into two branches — the House of Dăneşti and the House of Drăculeşti: _Drăgulescu_ is Romanian for "belonging to the House of Drăculeşti"; the Romanian word _dracul_ originates from the Latin _draco_ ("dragon"). The word _dracul_ in Modern Romanian also means "devil," which is associated with Bram Stoker's _Dracula_, and note that the real-life Vlad III Țepeș (or "Vlad the Impaler") is not considered a wicked or evil man in Romania, but a national hero instead. The Romanian spellings _Iuliu_ and _Augustinu_ originate from two Caesars of Rome: Greek name _Julius_ ("Jove's child") and Latin name _Augustus_ ("august, great, magnificent"), Julius Caesar's nephew and heir. His surname _cel Silvicultor_ ("the forester") was originally a given moniker he inherited, which was transformed into _Silverson_ ("son of a silversmith"), which denotes him losing his wealth and entitlement and regaining them (by "nefarious" means) by escaping the poverty of his fatherland to immigrate to Western Europe, namely London.

Lady Silverson (Huang)

She is wife of Julius Augustus Silverson. _Huang_ is Chinese for "phoenix," which is an auspicious mythological bird that is the symbol of virtue, grace, peace, prosperity, harmony, beauty, resurrection, immortality, and rising above adversity. If her husband is represented by the dragon, his wife is represented by the feminine equivalent in Asia: By combining the dragon and phoenix together, it becomes the Chinese symbol of eternal love and marital bliss, as well as symbols of the Emperor and Empress.

Lillian Silverson (Lillian Ba-He Silverson)

As the daughter of Julius Augustus Silverson and Lady Silverson, her mother died in order to have their daughter live. _Lillian_ derives from the Latin _lilium_ for "lily," the Western culture is the symbol of innocence and purity, and _Ba-He_ is Chinese for "water-lily," the Chinese symbol of resurrection and reincarnation, as the flower blooms at sunrise and closes at sunset every day.

Mei-Lien (Bo-Ming)

Originally a farmer's daughter sold into slavery, she became the lady's maid to Lady Silverson, housemaid to Julius Augustus Silverson, and nurse to Lillian Silverson. _Mei-Lien_ is Chinese for "beautiful lotus," the Chinese symbol of purity and beauty, as it rises from the filthy mud to bloom, unsoiled, into a beautiful flower. _Bo-Ming_ ("one born under an unlucky star") is referred to as a "milk name," which is a repulsive name given to a child to prevent evil spirits from stealing it away by believing it is unloved.

Elishama Kovinsky

He is Silverson's Polish-Jewish personal secretary, accountant, and reluctant accomplice who he genuinely disapproves of his employer's secretive career as a blackmailer. _Elishama_ is Hebrew for "my God has heard" — an irony as the character is left unheard — and _Kovinsky_ is a common Jewish name, but its meaning has been lost through time.

Sonneillon Meresin

He is a society gossip-monger of newspapers who attended Oxford with Basil, whom he occasionally consults (if Milde is unavailable), and is a "mutual" acquaintance of Julius Augustus Silverson. According to Judeo-Christian demonology, a 17th-century French exorcist wrote an account on the demonic possessions of Ursuline nuns by _Sonneillon_, a fallen angel, originally from the order of Thrones, who became a demon who tempts men with hatred against their friends and enemies. _Meresin_, mentioned in several 17th-century demonology texts, is another fallen angel from _Revelations_, a prince of aerial devils, and a demon of pestilence that causes thunderstorms and plagues. Neither of these names have a real translation, as they're only associated as a "demon of hate" and a "demon of pestilence," so the names are perhaps just gobble-gook made up by mentally unstable clerics, witch-hunters, and religious zealots.

The Baker Street Irregulars (Huggins, Gillette "Gilly," Cushing, Norwood, Rowe, Keaton, and Livanov)

They are the "Baker Street division of the unofficial police force" who assists in many of Basil's cases and each one is named after a Holmesian actor: _Huggins_ ("son of little Hugh") derives from Old French _Hugh_, short for German _Hubert_ ("bright mind"). _Gilly_ is nickname from the surname _Gillette_, which has two origins: _Guillot_, a French diminutive of Old German _William_ ("will helmet, protection"), or an English variation of the name Greek _Giles_ from the Greek word _aigidion_ ("kid, small goat"). _Cushing_ is a French form of the Old English _cousin_ ("relative"). _Norwood_ is originates from villages of either Northwood or Norwood counties of Middlesex, Surrey, from the Old English words _nord_ ("north") and _wuda_ ("wood, forest"). Rowe has several possible origins, from a shortened form of Old English _hedgerow_ ("row of houses"), a variation of German _Rowland_ ("renowned land"), German-Frankish _Rolf_ ("renowned wolf"), French _rue_ ("street"), and Gaelic _roe_ ("red-haired"). Keaton derives from a former village _Ketton_, which is Old English for "shed town," from the county of Rutland. The origins for _Livanov_ is based upon the patronymic suffix of _-ov_ for Russian surnames that originated from foreign languages, which means "son of," in this case the name _Livan_ is Nordic spelling of the Latin _Olivia_ ("of the olive tree, peace").

Aristide Bruant (Louis Armand Aristide Bruand)

He is the infamous owner of the cabaret, Le Mirliton, and mutual friend of Irene Relda, Bella Actrice, and Oscar Milde. French (Old Germanic) _Louis_ originates from the Latin _Clovis_ ("renowned fighter"), French _Armand_ is a variant of the Old Germanic _Herman_ ("solider"), and the French _Aristide_ derives from the Greek name _Aristides_, a variation of another Greek name _Aristotle_, from the phrase _aristos totalis_ ("the best of all"). _Bruand_ is a French surname, meaning unknown, which he altered to _Bruant_ ("bunting"), a songbird that is an Old World equivalent to the North American sparrow, when he began his career as a singer.

Mrs. Martha Judson and Mrs. Alice Faulkner

Mrs. Judson is Basil's landlady at Baker Street and her daughter Mrs. Faulkner is Basil's housekeeper (and secretary) at Sigerson Farm after he retires to Sussex. _Martha_ is of Aramaic origin for "mistress of the house" and the surname _Judson_ is Old English for "son of Juda, son of a Jew." _Alice_ is a French variant of shortened Old French name _Adeliz_, from Old Germanic word _adalheidis_ ("noble, exalted"), and the English surname _Faulkner_ originates from the Old French _faulconnier_ ("falconer").

Chief Inspector Vole (Jean-Alexandre Grégoire "Gregory" de Vole)

From a Anglo-French (Breton) parentage, this hellion-turned-lawman is hailed by Basil as Scotland Yard's "best of the professionals": The French variation of _Jean_ derives from Hebrew _John_ ("God's grace"), the romanticized _Alexandre_ derives from the Greek _Alexander_ ("defender of mankind"), and _Grégoire_ is a variant of Late Greek _Gregorios_ ("watchful, vigilant"). The surname _Vole_ is a type of long-nosed rodent, related to shrews, that originates from the archaic word _volemouse_, from the Old Norse _vollmus_, a compound of _vollr_ ("field") and _mus_ ("mouse"), but it could also originate from the French _voler_ ("to fly, to steal"). In his youth in France, he was known better as _L'éventreur_ ("Ripper"), a name tattooed on his arm with symbol of the Hand of Eris (Greek goddess of discord and chaos), immigrated to England to escape his (riotous) past, which later caused suspicion to fall on him during the height of Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. Traditionally, he goes by the more English name "Gregory" and does his best to forget his "L'éventreur days."

Chief Inspector Greyson (Ystin ap Greyve)

Having a desire to have each inspector to have a different national and/or cultural origin, Basil refers this Scotland Yarder as "the pick of a bad lot" and chose a Welsh naming system: _Ystin_ is a Welsh spelling of _Justin_, from the Latin _Iustinus_ ("just"). The Welsh surname _ap Greyve_ ("son of a steward, son of a count") derives from the Middle English word _greyve_ ("steward"), a person in charge of estates or property, and _greyve_ came from the earlier word _greifi_, an Old Norse title denoting a certain type of nobleman, which is the equivalent of a count; therefore, _ap Greyve_ is anglicized into _Greyson_.

Detective Inspector Clawes (Ambrosius "Emrys" Tāwhiri Cú Coigriche mac Túathail Ó Clabhgh)

Hailed by Basil as "the smartest of the Scotland Yarders," the second-born identical twin of a forensic professor and a now-catatonic dancer, he is New Zealand-born (Kiwi) Irishman who immigrated to London and, thus, I use traditional patronymic Irish naming system: _Mac Túathail_ means "son of Túathail ("tribe ruler")," his father's name, and _Ó Clabhgh_ (_O'Claw(e)s_) means "son of Clabhgh," his grandfather: While its meaning unknown, _Ó Clabhgh_ might be a misspelling of Irish Gaelic _Ó Cléirigh_ (_O'Cleary_ or _O'Clerk_), which means "descendant of a scribe."

Because he is a twin, I chose two similar "twin-like" names, both of Irish Gaelic origin, and selected _Emrys_ for the character of Clawes and _Emlyn_ for the older twin: _Emrys_ is a Welsh pet-name for _Ambrosius_ is the Latin spelling of the Greek _Ambrosios_ ("immortal"). _Tāwhiri_ (or _Tāwhirimātea_) is the god of weather, including thunder and lightning, wind, clouds, and storms, from Maori mythology. His twin brother, a forensic physician like their father, is named Dr. _Aemilianus "Emlyn" Tangaroa Cú Coigriche mac Túathail Ó Clabhgh_: _Emlyn_ is a Welsh pet-name for _Aemilianus_ is a variant of the Latin name _Aemilius_ ("rival"). _Tangaroa_ is the god of the sea from Maori mythology. Tāwhirimātea and Tangaroa were brothers — the two most well-known sons of Papatūānuku (earth mother) and Ranginui (sky father). And both twins share the Irish Gaelic name _Cú Coigriche_ ("hound of the border, hero from a foreign land").

Inspector Bowstreet (The Reverend Presleigh "Leigh" Bowstreet)

Perhaps the quietest member, the most low-key, of Scotland Yard's finest four, this soft-spoken vicar's son was a clergyman who left his benefice when the Holy Orders failed to "cure" his closeted homosexuality and, taking a Sabbatical to serve God as an officer of the law, he currently risks his career and reputation to pursue a romance with a African sea-rat behind closed doors (when homosexuality was considered illegal). His surname _Bowstreet_ originates from his model, Inspector Bradstreet, who originally served in Scotland Yard's E Division, which associates him with the "Bow Street Runners," who served as London's first professional police force from 1749 to 1839 (and their headquarters located at the address of 4 Bow Street and, of course, the street is named _Bow_ for its "bowed" or "bent" curve); however, these officers never referred to themselves as "runners" because it was considered a derogatory term for "thief-takers," whom were men who would solve petty crime for a fee. The Old English _Presleigh_ ("priest's field") was selected specifically because it was a unisex name that represent the character's religious nature and self-isolation. His lover _Whitney_, also a unisex name, is Old English for "white island" and, for the sake of irony, as an "African rat" under service of a foreign (is)land of "Caucasian mice" and a represents the pair's "interracial" and other controversial pursuits.

Hiram and Olivia Flaversham and Macaulay Connor

The origins of the surname _Flaversham_ are unknown, but may have spawned as a combination of Old English spelling of the Latin _flavus_ ("bright golden yellow") and Middle English _sham_ ("false, fake"); therefore, the surname could have originated from iron sulfate, a type of rock that looks similar to gold, better known by its nickname "fool's gold." _Hiram_ is a Scottish name that derives from the Hebrew _'ahlram_ ("exalted brother") and _Olivia_ ("of the olive tree, peace") is Latin.

In response to all the popularity Basil-Olivia ships, which I fervently dislike, I ended up creating a sequel to Olivia's story: After the film, Flavershams return to Scotland where she meets a kilt-wearing Macaulay Connor, an apprentice of her father's new toy-shop, and become childhood friends. However, with the coming of the Great War, he is drafted into the military when he comes of age, and becomes a driver, a mechanic, a tinker, an engineer, an intelligence carrier, and a spy in service of the British Army, while Olivia, inspired by Basil and encouraged by Dawson, goes to university (which is rare for a woman) to pursue a career as a mystery writer as well as an "amateur detective" in her own right. Eventually, these two characters share this sweeping epic journey where they befriend each other as children, grow up together and love one another, is torn apart by war, suffer through hardships, return to each other, eventually marry, and solve mysteries together: Scottish _Macaulay_ ("son of Aulay, son of righteousness") and Scottish-Irish _Connor_ ("wise, bright").

Toby, Fudge, and Beatrice

They are "pets" to Basil, of a sorts. The first two are dogs: Toby was (technically) Watson's bassett hound that lived alongside Sherlock Holmes and Fudge, a bassett-beagle mutt and one of Toby's surviving pups, came to live with Sherlock Holmes after he retired to Sussex. The name _Toby_ is a short form of the Hebrew _Tobias_ ("God is good"). _Fudge_ is named after the food due to her chocolate coat. I love the name "Fudge" because it's really fun to say with a British accent and I always love the way Jeremy Brett said the name in the episode of "Abbey Grange" — he would go "FUDD-ja!"

When Basil retires to bee-farming in Sussex, all the queen bees are named after Shakespearan characters (Desdemona, Cressida, Titania, Portia, Ophelia, Viola, etc), while the others remained nameless, except for Basil's favourite who is a worker bee that loves to follow him around and beg him (and his housekeeper Mrs. Faulkner) for strawberry jam named _Beatrice_, from _Much Ado About Nothing_, known for her stingy wit. The name derives from Latin name _Beatrix_, which comes from the Latin word _beatus_ ("voyager, traveler").

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URL: favdotme/d2d04dr


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